I have been on oxycodone on and off since about 2004 then continuously in 2007, with a mix of other meds like xanax or klonopin and muscle relaxants like flexeril. Anyway now Im on hydromorphone 8mg 6xday, and zanaflex 4 mg 3xday. i have been switched from oxycodone 30mg 6x day to hydromorphone 4mg 6xday back in about march of this year then within a month the dr doubled the hydromorphone to 8 mg since the 4 mg just wasnt working at all and i was experiencing terrible wd symptoms for that month. i also been taking about 5-6 Grams of motrin and about 3-4 grams of tylenol for a few months ( increased over the years, those dosages got higher). i had no choice to take motrin and tylenol since my dr is running out of ideas or just doesnt listen and is "puzzled by my syptoms", though he has a whole lists of DXs that i have yet to see (and have asked), now i gotta take halcion for anxiety for an in ofice spinal block tuesday (but he dont know about my folllowing problem)... anyway over the past few years ( about since 2001) i had urinary tract infections to the point my urine was red and it hurt so bad to urinate, I was hospitalized a few times for it a given multiple antibiotics and catheters. they said i had antibiotic resistant infections. anyway those subsided. now id say within about the last year my urine has gotten darker gradually over time (now keep in mind the meds and timeline) and occasional kidney pain especially when using the restroom or laying down. now my urine has been a steady dark tea to a lighter tea (slighty brown) color. I talked to the pharmacist and stopped taking as much tylenol and motrin. the other meds I HAVE to take. but I am wondering if my kidneys or liver or something like that could be severely damaged? I do drink, tea and water mostly and im 25 yrs old now. I did have a test years ago when i had the infections and the ultrasound showed that when i use the restroom my bladder empties but some urine shoots back up into my bladder..now im really worried cause since i saw my PM dr a few days ago I haave only urinated maybe 3x at the most and the last time was one and a half days ago (and Ive drank about 1-2 gallons), i feel a slight urge to go but dont have to and cant. but im really worried since all the pain meds i been on and the history and now the lack of urinating, can these meds have caused damage? wouldnt there be more pain in that area (or would the pain meds mask that pain too)? im worried any advice would be great cause I dont want to take any extra meds for next week now (also for 1-2 years I have increased in night sweats, hot cold flashes at night and an occasional low grade fever that usually goes away in a few days..)

honestly? given just the overall color of your urine and the newer symptoms you are also having here, i would get to your doc asap and just have your liver and the kidney labs run. there could possibly be either a liver issue going on(old RBCS in the urine/biliruben) or some other potentional function issues. the bloodwork would show possible problems with function with those two organs. an ultrasound would also help alot in better looking into both organs as well just for anything that is different and any possible real damage. they also use the doppler to check for alot of different things like the more important blood flow velocities thru organs(the very important bloodflow thru that portal vein within your liver) and how the bladder actually drains(what actually gets retained) and any possible jet problems or ureter issues. it can all be looked at pretty in depth with one US being done. just considering everything you mentioned here, this is what i would do right now. it just needs to be all tested and either rule in or out certain possible problems with either organ or both. this is just one of those better safe than sorry types of situations for you to just get done. i personally have both a kidney and liver disease and my son went thru liver failure back in 99 with a transplant. one thing he had going on was very dark colored urine at the time of Dx. this was from the P vein being closed off that started a chain reaction of crap in him.

just getting the liver and kidneys fully tested and looked at would help right now in determining alot things. there is one particular condition that a person using alot of OTC types of meds over a great length of time can end up getting and that is called "analgesic nephropathy". your urinary symptoms actually do sound a bit ominous right now. the liver too can be seriously impacted with the amounts of the tylenol you were simply taking for pain. that IS alot of tylenol and motrin. i would try and actually get in to see your doc tomorrow if at all possible just to check out your kidneys asap. if you are still not able to actually 'go" and urniate at all or things just do not feel 'right' to you, i would not hesitate to just go to your local ER for more emergent workups. if those kidneys are having any problems with overall functions right now, the sooner this gets realized the better off you will be. renal failure can come on from what you have had to be on. its just best to err on the side of saftey right now. just get this checked out as soon as you can. this could be just a kidney issue or a combo of kidney and liver considering the color of your urine right now. just be safe. i do hope things are not what they appear they could be for you right now. please let me know what you find out. marcia

thank you for the reply and info. I did finally urinate in the warm shower (I know nasty but couldnt help it). I only urinated once though and have since drank about 70 ounces of fluid. I just dont feel any need to even though with all the fluid i should feel like it. I just swelled up real bad the past few hours and have a splitting headache.. I think maybe from bring nervous about the spine procedure tues (dont know if panic attack could cause swelling tho) or I did just get buit by a dew red ants (didnt feel them cause they were on my feet)....I dont know, right now all i feel (urine-wise, laying down on my back) is slight pressure on both sides in front above my hips....
I also wanted ri see if anyone j=knew if brown spots (patches) that look bruise like and can be somewhar eough but most;y smooth or an indicator of kidney/liver problems. they spread then go away. theyre up and down both my sides and spread as high as the bottom of my bra line and go down slightly lower than my naval. they spread alittle to both the front or my back but never too far from my sides and more are on my left..any suggestions?... liver spots (dont know what that is)?...
yea and my bf and family say its that color cause i dont drink enough. i do. it dont matter how much i drink..their the onec with cleaer and light urine drinking only soda.

what you just described here hon REALLY NEEDS to be fully evaluated TODAY some way some how, either with your primary doc or an ER. the reason you may not be 'feeling' like you actually even have to pee at all is becasue the kidneys are not functioning properly so you would really have nothing even IN that bladder to 'give" that feeling, you know what i mean? the fact that you took in that much fluid and are not peeing it back out, along with what sounds like a very real level of fluid retention(the swelling?) it all just NEEDS some testing and evalution as soon as possible. tho there could be other possible reasons for everything you are feeling and having as symptoms, from what of know of kidney disease and renal failure hon, these are just signs and symptoms that are kind of screaming to be evaluted in you right now.

when we have concentrated urine from not taking in enough fluids or from dehydration, that urine simply gets very concentrated and dark yellow or golden and NOT tea or cola colored at all. thats a whole different type of situation that also needs evaluation soon. you are seriously just having some rather ominous types of symptoms here that are kind of scaring me right now for you. this NEEDS attention today. i would not wait any longer with this than you already have. if those kidneys are shutting down or just severely impaired, you may NEED dialysis just to actually clear all the toxins from your blood that the kidneys, with the help of the liver, would notmally do for you.

like i already mentioned above,while there can possibly be other reasons for what you are dealing with right now(but something IS affecting your kidneys),that main one that could be causing this for you at all IS within those kidneys espescially so that needs attention just to see how things really are in there. if i had going on what you do right now, with my already known kidney disease that also affects my liver, i would be IN my docs office right now or at the ER. thats the honest to god truth. you just NEED this evaluated asap. its that simple. people can die from unrecognized renal failure hon. you just NEED some reasons/answers here. believe me, i am not trying to scare you here but just trying to get across how really crucial this evaluation actually is and that it be done asap.

hopefully there is other players involved in this situation that would not make the kidneys the actual main reason for all of what you are experiencing right now, but this DOES need attention just to see what is going on and how all things are simply functioning right now. the overall symptoms just do not sound good at all to me. please let me know what you find out hon. marcia

thanks, i called my dr. he told me if it gets worse to go to the er (well actually the nurse, and she always says that) and they can get me in thurs since theyre backed up ( always are..). the swelling did go down overnight but sometimes that happens, I noticed once again in getting worse ovr the past few years and the swelling episodes would start in just my hands and they would get tight and red and start itching and then hurt as the swelling at the time increased. now it doesnt effect just my hands in effects my feet (they actually visibly look thinner today), I wore flip flops but sometimes i can tell cause my shoes will be tighter. anyway now i get the swelling up my arms and legs ( you know how you put a hair tie around your arm and its loose, well mine will get tight and leave red dents where they are on my arms sometimes).. today my color is lighter and i went once yesterday and once today but just dont think thats enough (once no matter how much or little you drink), and it seems like its alot like everything is dumped into my bladder at one time like from the whole day or 2 days then i wnot have to go again at all... my one dr thinks I hold it in subconsciously since i was raped at and robbed in my house at gunpoint llast summer and gave me a card "for a psychologist who can refer me to aa psychiatrist in regards to it" but he dont know about the color and stuff. since hes my PM dr he dont like talk about stuff outside his field.. although last time (last thurs) he said has anyon e checked yoour thyroid or have you had an mri of your brain (i said a ct that you have from the last crash i was in that caused me to see you..). that was when i mentioned my arms and legs tingly and numb (he noticed swelling in my hands occasionally too). but anyway he wont tell me what he means when he says things like that, none of my drs do. why an mri, why of my brain, and what does the thyroid have anything to do with me at all (my primary care dr was concerned about my thyroid years ago i remember now too) anyway I gotta get the spinal black tomorrow and i will let you know how my urine/blood work or whatever he does goes. ill probably be online unless im too groggy from the halcion tomorrow or in the ER for the urine thing. thanks again. illl keep you posted....im gonna look up whhat thyroids do too now..

i am just wondering how things are goin hon. since you have not posted in a while, i am just hoping that things are okay, or that you are at the very least getting some level of possible treatment for what just could be going on considering your symptoms? please post as soon as you can myhh. just concerned and really worried about you hon. take care, i do hope all is well, marcia

Just wondering if you ever found anything out. The one thing that really concerend me was the "bruising" you talked about. Don't mean to scare you, but before my brother died of Chirosiss (sp?) of the Liver from Alcohol Abuse, he had hat type of bruising up and down his rib cage area that would spread for no real known reason. i.e. he didn't hit anything, or fall, etc. This went on for about 4years prior to his death.

I wanted to post to you, and bump this back up so that maybe you would see it and give us an update. I too have been worried about you, and you have been in my prayers and thoughts daily.

believe me becky, i AM very concerned about her too. have not heard a peep from her and i am just hoping that everything is okay. so sorry about your brother hon. my son went thru liver failure back in 99-2000 at only age 12 and was thankfully given the miracle of a liver tx right when we were just right on the edge with NO real time left. i am so sorry that this did not occur with him as well.

if you are out there MHH, please let us know how things are going. Marcia